VOLUME 67, ISSUE 1
OCT. 6, 2023
SPECIAL HOMECOMING EDITION! W W W. C V H S O LY M P I A N . C O M
A
fter years of losing, the
swaggy seniors were finally able to hip hop their way to the top in their last year.
VOLUME 67, ISSUE 1
OCT. 6, 2023
WE ARE BORN TO SEEK THE TRUTH! W W W. C V H S O LY M P I A N . C O M
“Shock and sadness”
Keita Hasegawa arrested on sex charges By Matthew Wong
Former CVHS music teacher Keita Hasegawa was arrested on Sept. 14. and has been charged with seven felonies for allegedly sexually abusing a minor student. “There are absolutely no words that can adequately express the shock and sadness that we felt when we learned that someone trusted to work with our students is alleged to have so severely violated their innocence,” wrote Superintendent Parvin Admadi in a message to school staff and families. Hasegawa met the student when she was 11 years old at Creekside Middle School. Police said the sexual abuse began when she was 13, progressing and continuing as she attended CVHS. The student claimed that Hasegawa molested her in his office on occasions both on and off campus in late 2022. The investigation was launched on March 21, 2023 when police encountered Hasegawa at the victim’s
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office released this booking photo of Keita Hasegawa. home while responding to a reported mental health crisis. According to the police, Hasegawa informed Principal Chris Fortenberry that he was at the victim’s residence to provide “moral support.” Fortenberry then notified the police since Hasegawa had not told anyone else about the emergency. While investigating the relationship between Hasegawa and the victim, the victim “disclosed inappropriate electronic communications between her and Hasegawa,” while Hasegawa “initially denied [that] their association was beyond the boundaries of a
student/teacher relationship.” Police worked with CVHS students and staff who provided screenshots of Discord messages between the victim and Hasegawa, whose laptop was unlocked, allowing students to access the contents. Hasegawa stopped teaching after spring break in April of 2023. On April 20, CVHS announced his scheduled return for April 24, prompting students and parents to give their testimony at a public school board meeting on April 26. Some people defended Hasegawa, but most students and parents spoke out against
his actions. “To know that the teacher was set to return to the classroom under these circumstances is frankly horrifying,” said CVHS parent Debra Keener. “He is violent in the classroom, sometimes throwing and slamming objects, yelling at students, and kicking students out. He gets very personally upset with students, sometimes calling them names and being what I see as incredibly immature… It is apparent Mr. Hasegawa has crossed a line that should not have been crossed, and as a result we want him removed,” said junior Luna
Estebanez. After the meeting, Hasegawa did not return to class. He later resigned. In the following months, police continued to work with students and school staff. Police gained enough evidence to charge Hasegawa after seizing his phone where they found messages showing that “he had been sexually abusing the victim since she was in middle school.” Detectives presented the evidence to the Alameda County’s District Attorney Office, which later announced seven felony charges against Hasegawa on Sept. 12. “Multiple media networks reported information related to the case being charged before detectives could arrest Hasegawa. Concerned that the suspect might do something drastic before he was taken into custody, detectives moved quickly to negotiate Hasegawa’s surrender. Hasegawa selfsurrendered at the Santa Rita Jail on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023,” reported the sheriff’s office. At Hasegawa’s arraignment hearing on Sept. 18, the judge set bail for $600,000 and set the terms of his release. The terms include not being able to contact or be within 100 yards of the victim, full cooperation with the authorities including consenting to any and all searches, not being able to be in the vicinity of a minor without another adult present, and he is prohibited from using social media.
New AI policy produces mixed responses
By Haku Kremer
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Pre-training Transformers (GPT) have been on the rise since an early demo of ChatGPT was released on Nov. 30, 2022. CVUSD has decided on a new Artificial Intelligence/GPT Tools Code of Conduct limiting students’ use of AI/GPT in their work. Submitting work generated by AI and/or GPT tools as original work is considered a violation of academic integrity and may result in disciplinary action. With express permission from teachers, students can use the tools, but must clearly distinguish
between it and their own work “I think that there are a lot of concerns [about AI]. My experience with AI so far is that students are still way smarter than AI and students don’t know that,” said English teacher Tina Johansson. “Students will try to use it and get in trouble, not for cheating, [but] for turning in subpar work.” Some students think that AI should be embraced instead of rejected. “I think the school should incorporate AI into the learning curriculum because it’s becoming a big part of reality,” said junior Kenny Phouvanh. Last year, however, Johansson and her class used ChatGPT and
found that it was not able to write an essay with evidence from the source. After pushing for ChatGPT to write an essay with evidence, the students found that the evidence was made up. “A challenge as an English teacher is, how do I make assignments that students won’t automatically go to AI,” said Johansson. “We have students write a lot, and if we can’t trust that they’ve written the things that they turned in because they are AI-produced, it can be a big problem for academic dishonesty,” commented former CVHS journalism student and current English teacher Nisha Lal. “From a teacher’s perspective, because we want students to learn
in school and turn things in by AI, students aren’t doing the thinking or growth that they should.” “AI can be used as a learning tool, but can also be used as a
Richard Paseman
search engine like Google,” said junior Alex Chen. “The new AI policy discourages the people from using ChatGPT and encourages them to actually learn.”
The Olympian Oct. 6, 2023
3
California group makes anti-trans push By Nicole Wu More than 20 states have voted to limit the rights of trans students, and California could be next. A group called Protect Kids California recently protested against California’s failure to pass laws limiting trans rights and requiring schools to notify parents about their trans children. For example, the California Legislature did not consider or pass Assembly Bill 1314, which would require schools to, in writing, inform parents about the students’ gender identity if they were found to be transgender or use different pronouns than the ones assigned at birth. Protect Kids California asserts that parents have the right to know everything about their children ranging from their grades to their gender identity. They hope to enact their goals through initiatives, in which voters make state decisions directly. Currently, they are collecting signatures to qualify for a statewide ballot. “Some will argue that this ‘outs’ the child in question. That’s utter nonsense, the child has already outed themselves
by requesting that they go by another name. This is a simple notification from the school to the parent that their child has requested to do so,” stated Protect Kids California supporter Erin Friday. CVHS teachers are upset with these new initiatives. “Someone’s identity and how you identify is core to who you are. Not the government’s place to tell how they identify. I would not support these laws if they made it to the ballot,” said
social studies teacher Kathleen Cassidy. “It puts teachers in a difficult spot. Scary for the kids and hard for me as a teacher to do that.” “There’s a reason if parents don’t know about [their kids’ gender identity]: their kids probably don’t feel safe talking about it,” said Amanda Staab, English teacher and Pride Club advisor. “So a law like this wouldn’t make kids feel more safe, it would make parents feel like they have more control.”
Staab also voiced concern for the kids’ mental wellness: “LGBTQ youth are much more vunerable when it comes to mental health, suicide rate tends to be higher, so a intitaive like this seems like it would be more harmful for students in mental health.” Of course, this affects LGBTQIA+ students the most, and students are equally, if not more, outraged than teachers are. “[This initiative] endangers
the quality of life of not only trans students, but also their teachers,” commented senior and Pride Club president Gabriela Arechiga. “Identity is a form of expression and to take that right away from how someone chooses to express themselves is simply unconstitutional.” “If teachers are suddenly required to out students to their parents it will not only create a lack of safety and trust between students and their teachers,” added senior and Pride Club member Nico Silva. “If a student does not wish to share information with their parents, due to safety concerns at home, then I believe teachers should respect the student’s decision in keeping their parents uninformed.” This isn’t Protect Kids California’s only goal. The group also hopes to ban trans girls from sports, prevent kids under 18 from taking puberty blockers, and stop transgender surgeries. Protect Kids California needs to collect about 500,000 signatures per proposal to reach the ballot in the upcoming 2024 election. Then it will be up to California’s voters.
“
“
“
“
CVHS students protest for transgender rights in March.
CVHS welcomes new staff members
“
I am so excited to be here at CVHS!
Daniel Grimm
”
chemistry teacher
In the short time I’ve worked at CVHS, I have met some amazing human beings. The students, staff and administration make this school a great place for all. I’m honored and excited to be a Trojan!
Troy Rexelle
VAPA/music teacher
“
I subbed at CVHS towards the end of last school year and fell in love with this school and the students. Very happy to be a part of this amazing school!
Steven Bibb
special ed teacher
”
”
“
I’m excited to be at CVHS! There is a wonderful community here with great students and staff. Look forward to meeting you all!
”
Stephanie Graves special ed teacher
I am thrilled to be here at CVHS after living in Kansas City for the past 20 years. I love the vibe of this school and I’m thrilled to be here.
John Rodgers
”
I am a graduate of CVHS, and am so excited to be back as a teacher! This community is so lively and spirited, and I am grateful to be a part of it once again.
Nisha Lal
English teacher
CTE teacher
“
I am happy to join such a wonderful school, full of friendly staff and awesome students!
Edward Yoon VAPA/art teacher
”
”
I am looking forward to learning with CVHS students. I have felt blessed that the communities have welcomed me to be part of their teams so far.
mathematics teacher
”
Theresa Koscinski English teacher
“
Katy Liang
I am excited for the opportunity to teach in my community. The students and my colleagues have made it a wonderful experience. Looking forward to being a Trojan for years to come!
”
“
I am new to this area, having lived in Southern California for many years. I have been made to feel welcome by just about everyone, and I am looking forward to a great year!
”
Julie Tilney-Varden special ed teacher
4
Courts on taking down affirmative action
Editorial: Affirmative action is not a positive way to achieve diversity in colleges. The American people shouldn’t be accepted into college based on the color of their skin, especially when it lets some unworthy students into colleges and holds back other worthy students in the name of diversity. In 2003, the Supreme Court made a controversial ruling in favor of affirmative action. This gave colleges the power to use race as a factor in admissions. The decision was met with uncertainty. Everyone agrees that college admissions should be equal, but the court’s decisions vary between right and left leaning justices. Most of The Olympian staff believe affirmative action creates an unjust and unequal environment based on skin color. Then this year, the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in a 6-3 vote. The decision addressed Harvard and the University of North Carolina, ruling that their race-based admissions systems are unlawful. “Many universities have for too long… concluded, wrongly, that
the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges built, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not
tolerate that choice,”stated Chief Justice John Roberts. A fair admissions practice is when all people of any race, gender, ethnicity, etc. are given an equal
chance to achieve a higher education. We at The Olympian believe affirmative action gives some an unfair advantage instead
of creating equal opportunity for all. States including California, Idaho, Michigan, Washington, and more had already banned affirmative action for higher education. Leaving an equal playing field for applicants for people of color and those who are not, while also increasing the importance of academic achievements and activism. Admissions should be based on what you achieve being who you are, which can include an ethnic background and culture, but should not be solely based on the color of someone’s skin. Diversity has become an integral part of the American school system of today; basing someone’s education on something so uncontrollable is not a sustainable attempt at upholding this melting pot. “Both programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping and lack meaningful endpoints,” said Roberts.
Editorial: Everyone can agree that college admissions decisions should be fair and equal. Agreement on how to do so is more difficult. Some say that favoring one group over another based on skin color is unequal, but it isn’t that simple. The color of someone’s skin has the power to determine their entire life. To ignore something of such magnitude is ignorant and negligent. On June 29, the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in a 6-3 vote. The decision addressed two schools, Harvard and the University of North Carolina, ruling that their racebased admissions systems are unlawful.
“Many universities have for too long...concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice,” said Chief Justice John Roberts. This brings up the question of equality versus equity. Equality is allowing people of all races, ethnicities, genders, etc. to apply to a college, but equity is recognizing that each individual has different circumstances and provides an equal playing field for all applicants. Affirmative action has been in place since 1965 when Pres. Lyndon Johnson issued an
executive order to ensure employment equality regardless of race, color, religion, and national origin. Then in 2003, the Supreme Court Case of Grutter v. Bollinger ruled that colleges could use race as a factor in admissions. Much of the disparity between whites and people of color is economic. “New data from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) show that long-standing and substantial wealth disparities between families in different racial and ethnic groups were little changed since the last survey in 2016; the typical White family has eight times the wealth of the typical Black family and
five times the wealth of the typical Hispanic family,” reported The Federal Reserve. When, due to the color of your skin, you can’t afford the same tutors, schools, college coaching, and resources as your white counterparts, how can you be expected to compete? In a similar fashion, legacy admissions continue to prevent the equality that people against affirmative action claim to want. The practice of more favorably viewing university applicants whose parents are alumni is known as “legacy” admissions. “...Several studies have shown that legacy admissions overwhelmingly favor wealthy and White applicants, and critics
have described the practice as reverse affirmative action — benefiting such students at the cost of applicants of color and other disadvantaged groups,” reported The Washington Post. While affirmative action has ended, the inequitable process of admitting students because their parents went to the school continues. “The court subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society,” stated Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who voted against the demolition of affirmative action.
or showing a quick-witted intelligence.’ Intelligence is defined as ‘the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.’ “ Intelligence is opinion based but many can come to a mutual agreement on a number of people. Putting prior knowledge to use can be found to be the foundation of multiple trending games, with people being good at them being seen as a form of intelligence. Some examples include sudoku, checkers, word bombs, chess, or Wordle, that test various different skills. Questionable articles have also been written to deceive people, like studies of bad handwriting apparently proving intelligence.
There is no real correlation between bad handwriting and intelligence. To not fall for bait articles you need to begin questioning yourself and ask whether or not these “smart people” are who you believe them to be. You’ll typically find yourself falling for their confidence whether or not it’s feigned. There’s a massive difference between confidence and self awareness, of course. Someone who is self aware knows their limits which hints to being above average IQ. Confidence is deemed a positive attribute typically but this trait can lead to a monstrous ego if they get too ahead of the game. Let’s get further to the signs someone is
smart. First, are they able to control their impulses? Self-restraint is a massive sign and is found in more intelligent people. When asking questions, can they provide proper explanations to your questions step by step instead of skipping through directions? Do they tend to get excited instead of being irritated when you ask questions? Do they have an insatiable curiosity? Are they observant of more than just their surroundings? Now, some of the questions above may be impossible to answer without being straight forward but the better way to determine if someone is smart or not is to put yourself on a pedestal
beside them. Begin with making yourself the average. A popular way of testing your intelligence is also an IQ test. This test looks over your capability and potential and provides a score which can be used to compare yourself to those that encircle you. Deep down, intelligence is more opinionated and not a complete fact. Yes, many can agree if someone is smart but there are a lot of factors to it. What does it really mean to be smart? Upon reading this, begin applying all these questions to those that you keep tabs on and maybe yourself. Whether you decide someone is smart or not it’s all up to what the average is.
Kalaya Williams
Affirmative action: equity over equality
What determines whether a person is smart?
By Brenda Huynh What does it really mean to be smart? Many people have questioned this and ponder if the peers surrounding them are smart or just walking frauds. According to psychreg.org, “On a literal level, the dictionary defines ‘smart’ as ‘having
5 From Twitter to “X” a change for the worse The Olympian Oct. 6, 2023
By Michael Lac Elon Musk bought Twitter in October of 2022, and since then the company has been run into the mud. Not only did he throw away the iconic brand that was the blue twitter bird for an ugly math symbol, but many of his other changes have been horrible for users. One of his worst changes has been his new verification system. Now instead of only verifying people who are famous and need to be verified, he opened it up to being able to buy verification through X Premium. By removing
Michael Lac
the one thing that differentiated the actual celebrity from imposters it makes the imposter’s job much easier. Right after he changed the verification system we quickly saw the consequences of the new sys-
Politicians are getting too old
By Richard Paseman Should we have a maximum age limit for candidacy? This would cover all forms of office, preventing those older than the maximum age from working in government. The short answer is yes. The question is, what age should it be? Since the elections of President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, attention has been focused on the cognitive health of our government representatives. For Trump, it has been clear through the current indictments that he has not made intelligent decisions, an indicator of declining cognitive health. For Biden, he has been under constant scrutiny, attributed to age, for his slew of gaffes, worrying the public about his capability to act in office. Mitch McConnell and Dianne Feinstein, are both political figures who have faced similar scrutiny and similarly are within the age range of 70 to 90. Stereotypical candidates for government are old. This is because in most societies, “elders” have traditionally been key decision makers. Old age is associated with wisdom and accumulated knowledge, beneficial traits for any leader. Reducing the age limit might eliminate the benefit of this insight from older members of the community. Despite this, we have seen evidence that older members have made poor choices, and those managing them have been negligent or exploitative in the oversight of our older political officers. In the case of 81-year-old McConnell, who
recently froze up at a press conference, his family fell under scrutiny. Setting an age limit would create a window of opportunity for office, allowing expiration of old candidates and reducing accumulated competitiveness. In other words, as older, more popular candidates expire, new individuals can step on the scene and benefit the government. While the age limit might reduce the time of talented candidates, it would prevent them from having an overbearing reign and allow new ideas to constantly rotate. There is no true number that we can attribute to an unfit age. Sixtyfive is the statistically recognized age for developing Alzheimer’s disease, but with ever-improving medicine, there is no assignable age to consider someone unfit for candidacy. However, by determining an age in respect to a window for participating in office, we can circumvent likely cases and allow a better rotation of officials in office. So what should this age be? The maximum age should be 70. This number will certainly be of great debate and will depend on the preferences of the general public. However, 70 extends as an overestimate of the average age for developing Alzhiemer’s, 65, average age for retirement, 61, and the fact that many candidates who face issues with age are older than 70. This number would allow 35 years of opportunity to become president and even more years for roles with lower minimum age requirements. Of course, achieving this change would be no simple feat; it would be a constitutional amendment. Although this number should be non-permanent, requiring a twothirds majority in Congress and three-fourths approval from the states will make it harder to change even if implemented. However, if implemented, the country would reap benefits by preventing overextension in office and avoiding cognitive issues caused from old age.
tem. Someone impersonated U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin and tweeted out that they would halt manufacturing to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States and as a result the company lost more than
$7 billion in their market cap. Musk has also brought on his new philosophy of freedom of speech to the company, but it’s not a very good one. He constantly talks about how the app was ridiculed by “left-wing bias” and has unbanned people who he believes had been “censored.” These people include Andrew Tate who not only is a misogynist but someone charged with human trafficking and Jordan Peterson who was banned for his transphobic tweets. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have also said that this approach is bringing on an increase in anti-transgender speech on the platform. His new algorithm has also made the user experience worse. Musk has changed the feed to promote people who have bought verification, which is mostly filled with Musk fans who are usually the most toxic users, making the feed much less enjoyable if you don’t agree with them. My experience, as
someone who is mostly moderate/ Democrat, has seen a high increase of strong right-wing conservatism and anti-LGBTQ content which I despise to see. One of the changes that just emphasizes the stupidity of Musk is how the app works outside of being logged in. The experience has become so bad it’s almost unusable. First of all, you can’t even preview Twitter without being logged in. Links to the website are even more unusable because of this; without being logged in, you can’t see any replies to the tweet or almost anything else you may want to see other than the tweet itself. The big changes have been horrendous and the freedom of speech ideology even worse. Everything from X premium to the amount of hard work you have to do to look at a tweet from a link has made me wish that someday the bird comes back and everything goes back to what it once was.
How social media changed me
By Kelly Xu Social media has this weird way of sucking you in. You start spending way too much time and energy on these platforms, and before you know it, you’re hooked; the more time you spend engaging in social media, the deeper the hook sinks in. All you want is some validation, so you keep posting about your life. The gratification that the likes and comments give you are better than anything. Here’s the thing, though: all those people scrolling through your posts end up feeling like their lives are lesser in comparison, which can make them feel isolated and depressed. It’s true that social media can help people in making connections or finding shared interests with others, and this fact shouldn’t be dismissed. However, the flipside is that it can also promote unrealistic views of others’ lives, contributing to feelings of exclusion or inadequacy, especially among impressionable teens. These negative effects extend beyond age, as they can affect both children and adults. Social media poses a severe threat to mental health, not merely because of external expectations but also due to the content that can be found online, which ranges from photoshopped pictures of celebrities to disturbingly graphic materials.
I, too, fell victim to the influence of social media. I watched my classmates succumb to similar pressures, and I soon followed, leading to the deterioration of my mental health. Witnessing others’ lives mirror those that I saw online, I desperately tried to conform to their standards in order to feel accepted, continuing the pattern. I pressed on Instagram, watching as the logo loaded onto my screen. I tapped on the stories and saw seemingly endless photos of people going out, having the time of their lives. I sat there, on my bed, scrolling through those images, feeling a pang of jealousy. It seemed like everyone else was living their best life while I was stuck in my room.
Looking back at that moment, I knew I needed to reconsider my relationship with social media. I realized that my mental health was suffering as a result of seeking validation and conforming to unrealistic standards. It was time to break free from the cycle and focus on real connections and personal growth, rather than the superficial world of likes and comments. I slowly cut down on my social media use, opting for more meaningful interactions with friends and family. It wasn’t easy, and I had to fight the urge to constantly check my notifications. However, as time went on, I started to feel happier and less anxious about needing virtual acceptance to define my selfworth.
Castro Valley High School’s journalism class publishes The Olympian, an award-winning newspaper and media empire, from our world headquarters at 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, California 94546. © 2023 Editor-in-Chief............................................................Melissa Boussaroque Editor-in-Chief............................................................Kaitlyn Tchang Online Editor...................................................Renata Gutierrez Multimedia Editor...............................................Wyatt Franklin Multimedia Editor...............................................Ethan Dinh N e w s E d i t o r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M a t t h e w Wo n g Opinion Editor...........................................Gavin Peters Sports Editor....................................................Haku Kremer Arts and Entertainment Editor............Mason Jordan Feature Editor........................................Shannan Chan P h o t o E d i t o r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L u i s O c h e a C o p y E d i t o r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vi c t o r B a h n g Business Manager........................................Nicole Wu Staff Writers: Cat Baldwin, Maxim Boychuk, Lillian Cooke, Devin Hidayet, Brenda Huynh, Samuel Jarvis, Mario Joseph, Michael Lac, Zoe Lawrence, Grace Lopez, Richard Paseman, Zoe Schwartzle, Kalaya Williams, Kelly Xu, Hailey Young Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson
J ubilant Juniors
stay in second place with their eyes set on their last chance to win Homecoming in their senior year.
S
ophomores wowed
the crowd with their
dazzling spirit and energetic dance. Though they failed to pop to the top, they still pulled themselves into third, one place higher than last year.
8
Snow Bowl offers a chilly delight Snow Bowl does not skimp out on ingredients. Heaping on a generous mountain of shaved ice and beautifully layering mango slices surrounding the top, the delicate dessert is nothing short of a masterpiece.
By Hailey Young Treat yourself to delightful snacks and elegant desserts at Snow Bowl, a new family-run venue that recently launched its soft opening in San Ramon, offering a diverse menu of Korean favorites. As the name suggests, this restaurant sells milk-based shaved ice varieties, also known as bingsoo. Other items found on the menu include drinks such as slushies, smoothies, and tea, and snacks such as gyoza, creme brulee toast, and chicken wings. Personally, I ordered the mango bingsoo, which cost $12.95, and snacks including popcorn chicken, $8.50, and fried calamari, $10.95, totaling up to $32.40. When savoring the crunch of crispy popcorn chicken, or trying the refreshing drinks also offered, the obvious stand out at Snow Bowl is their bingsoo dish, a milk-based Korean shaved ice dessert. The bingsoo is definitely good to share, as
“The delicate
dessert is nothing short of a masterpiece. ”
Mango bingsoo at Snow Bowl.
Hailey Young
“Spider-Man” swings to top By Devin Hidayet
Spider-Man finds himself teleportedtoanotherdimension. Swinging through the city, a new adaptation of Spider-Man gracefully jumps from building to building, taking scratches and giving swings to the Prowler, never far behind him. The movie ends with a final clash as the Spider-Man must outsmart his opponent to find his way back to the original universe. The newest Spider-Man movie follows Miles Morales throughout his comic-booklike story as a high schooler. After viewing the terrifying death of Peter Parker, his dimension’s original SpiderMan, Morales is bitten by a multiversal Spider. Along the way, he finds a few friends and a few foes throughout the multiple dimensions.
“Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” is the second installment of Morales’ tale, following the events of beating Kingpin’s scheme to break the multiverse in hopes of finding another universe of his dead family. Morales is invited to the Spider-Man HQ, an elite multiversal Spider-Man Taskforce where he learns that he is an “anomaly” and could potentially ruin the multiverse. Spider-Man then finds out about one of his trivial enemies, Spot, and his ability to create portals to other dimensions. However, he is sent to the wrong dimension and has to fight a villain named The Prowler to save his dad from being destroyed by Spot’s wrath. The story is likable and charming with its creative
animations and witty jokes. The story is confusing however entertaining with a great plot and thematic ideas. The contrast between a traditional white, middle-aged Spider-Man to a black, teenage Spider-Man shows how “anyone can wear the mask,” as Morales says. Morales is able to meet brand new characters, each coming from different walks of life, proving yet again the lesson of responsibility and heroism from every individual can be earned. The movie comprehensively touches on the fact that different environments can breed different people, but in the end, it is up to the individual to be a hero. The audience may also see Spots’ conflict with Morales as a depressing topic, as Spot’s main argument is to be taken seriously by his protagonist, yet is still undermined until he gains real power. This idea of ignoring the problem is touched upon multiple times throughout Morales’ conflict between him and his parents, to the distraction of balance between school and helping the city. In the end, Spider-Man’s newest movie shows the complicated lives of teenagers and the conflict between kidlike action and realistic comingto-age responsibility. The plot receives a five out of five for its masterfully drawn and written characters and hard-to-grasp life lessons.
Underneath, house-made mango sauce soaks the ice, creating a sweet but light melting pool of flavor on the bottom. I really liked how I could customize the sweetness level of the bingsoo too, and have the option of ordering the
condensed milk topper on the side. Snow Bowl does a great job at allowing for customer personalization, which only adds to the perks. However, aside from their palate-pleasing desserts, the savory dishes such as popcorn chicken and fried calamari could use some tweaks. There were some pieces of chicken where the flavoring fell short, or wasn’t present at all, and for some pieces of calamari, the crunchy exterior lacked the well-anticipated crunch. Additionally, as a small shop just opening, Snow Ball is understaffed, and each dish has a long wait time before being brought out to customers. Overall, what really draws me back is the bingsoo dessert. The dish elevates itself from the rest with careful attention to detail when putting together each bowl of blended ice and fruit. I highly recommend trying out Snow Bowl and can’t wait to see how they expand and grow the small restaurant.
“Detransition, Baby” offers unconventional look at family By Zoe Lawrence Ames stands there, mouth open, eyes wide, unable to process what he had just heard. Katrina, his girlfriend and his boss, has just told him that he is going to be a father. Now, this would normally be fine except for the fact that Ames was a trans woman. Due to hormone therapy done a few years ago, he should not be able to have kids at all. At this point, Katrina is practically begging Ames to say anything. He has to tell her the truth and he knows it. He can not continue to keep this from her. So, he blurts it out. Now it is Katrina’s turn to stand there dumbfounded. Torrey Peter’s novel, “Detransition, Baby,” tells the story of three characters, Ames, Reese, and Katrina, who are in the process of deciding whether or not to raise a baby together. Katrina had just discovered that she is pregnant. Ames agrees to co-parent, but he decides he wants Reese, “his transexual ex-girlfriend”, to help raise the child. His relationship with Reese is very different from Katrina. He relies on Reese to keep him grounded and remind him who he is as a detransitioned man. She understands that side of
him in a way he knows Katrina never will. His relationship with Katrina is more romantic, but his unresolved feelings for Reese are clear. He often claims to love them both, leading to another obstacle for them to overcome if they hope to remain a family. Peters’s book breezily plays with the nuclear idea of a family unit. As it expands the boundaries of what a family could look like, it gives the reader permission to build the community they want and need. Ames, regardless of his faults, pushes past societies expectations to fight for the future he wants.
The Olympian Oct. 6, 2023
9
“Elemental” tackles issues with humor
By Kalaya Williams
The blockade to the city’s water supply breaks, creating a large wave on its way to destroy Fire Town—a place that obviously shouldn’t be exposed to water. The story’s protagonist speeds after it, desperately trying to warn the poor citizens and save her family’s legacy before it’s too late. This is just one of many climactic scenes featured in Pixar’s newest film, “Elemental.” The movie provides a feel-good experience for whoever sees it, with both lighthearted comedy and a meet-cute romance. The film is broad enough to appeal to a wide range of audiences,
while still being personal and enjoyable. Story-wise, the movie tells the story of a fiery woman whose parents immigrated to Elemental City for a better life. Her life intertwines with that of an anxious water guy, and they work together to save her family’s business. Despite being lighthearted and fun, the film still tackles real world issues of discrimination that hits hard especially in America. Despite the legitimately heartfelt story, the film dealt with criticisms even before release. It suffered from a lack of good advertisement; the movie was painted so extremely vaguely that it had trouble garnering positive attention.
This has shed a light on the evolving animation industry as a whole. Disney and Pixar are so big that their films will always be successful, but with heavy hitters such as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” these long-standing companies will need to step up their game. The “elemental” aspect of the film results in seemingly endless fire and water puns, but every now and then, something more illuminating comes up: “There’s a word in Fireish. Deshlock. It means embrace the light when it burns because it won’t always last forever.” While technically wordplay on fire, the line still leaves a poignant message for viewers.
“Little Mermaid” succeeds as live action picture By Lillian Cooke
The well known redhead, Princess Ariel finds herself battling an evil half-woman half-octopus in the middle of the ocean! This all started because “The Little Mermaid” dreams of a life beyond the sea. What most encouraged her to live on the surface was the love of her life, Prince Eric. Due to her hopes to one day have legs, the princess makes a bad deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula. The deal had required her to give up her voice for three days in order to live on land for the same amount of time. With the help of her animal friends, Ariel is able to live out her dreams on land and help her overcome her obstacles. With adventure, music and so much more, “The Little Mermaid” is
a must watch. This new movie, starring Halle Bailey, is a live action version of the 1989 animated film starring Jodi Benson. With fun cameos of Benson and references to the former movie, the new film was bound for success. Although there was some
controversy as to why Bailey should play the lead role of Ariel, they had picked an amazing choice. Songs such as “Part of your World,” sung by Bailey, had really touched audiences who watched. On the note of success, within the first five days of the movie premiering, 16 million people nation-wide
franchise. When I first watched “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” on its release day, April 5, I was starstruck. The entire movie was created with vibrant colors that popped out from the screen, showing vivid attention to detail to every little thing. From the characters to the settings like the Mushroom Kingdom, they all looked incredible. But one thing that I thought could be better was the plot size. While the general plot was very solid and had a strong beginning, middle and end, it could have developed more. It was too straight forward and the producers, which included Nintendo itself, could have added more content to make it even more interesting. Nevertheless, the plot developed great with what it had. At the base, the movie is very similar to the plots of the “Super Mario Bros.” games, but was also able to provide extra details of the brothers’ origins. The two brothers, Mario and his younger brother, Luigi, live in Brooklyn
with their family. They owned a plumbing company, but weren’t able to make a great debut. But when a large rainstorm hit Brooklyn, the city was flooded and Mario decided to take Luigi with him to make their mark. Once they go deep into the sewers of Brooklyn, they discover a secret room with large green pipes. Luigi was accidentally sucked into one, so Mario followed him soon after. They ended up in a massive system of wormholes leading to many different worlds. As they flew through, Luigi gets sent into a dark and gloomy land while Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom where from there, he is set to save his brother Luigi. With its light and occasional dark humor, action and great quality, I think that everyone should give it a try and see what they think about it. This movie gave me a great memory and lots of nostalgia because of all of the references that were shown and maybe you can spot some of them as well!
had watched the film. With 2023’s new technology, the movie’s graphics and computergenerated imagery (CGI) have really improved. Comparing the old technology to the new, the animals look almost real. Additionally, the mermaid herself is also different from the past movie. Since she is half-
human and half-fish, the tail had also used new technology to make Bailey look more realistic. Throughout the film the differences from the original movie have been a little harder to find other than the new songs. Audiences appreciated the lyric change from the song, “Kiss the Girl.” The 1989 version of the original song did not represent asking for consent using words such as, “It don’t take a word, not a single word. Go on and kiss the girl.” Whereas the new song has lyrics that represent asking for consent with words like, “Use your words, boy, and ask her. If the time is right and the time is tonight, go on and kiss the girl.” If you enjoy movies with new tech, lots of laughs and lots of adventure, “The Little Mermaid,” is the movie for you.
“Super Mario Bros.” wows gamers everywhere
By Maxim Boychuk Mario enters the arena, greeted by thousands of gorillas from the Jungle Kingdom cheering and clapping. Donkey Kong appears through another set of tall doors, making the crowd go wild. Mario becomes discouraged, but he remembers his determination to win. He prepares to throw the first punch, being successful, but failing to deal a strong blow. Mario then proceeds to be beaten up by Donkey Kong in a comical way. Throughout this amazing animation, there are tons of comedy and action packed battles featuring many notable characters we all know and love. After so many Super Mario games, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is the first official Nintendo “Super Mario Bros.” film ever created. From beginning to end, the movie is a rollercoaster of nostalgia for any long-time fan, while also being an excellent watch for viewers not as familiar with the
10
Yellow Jackets sting Trojans, 54-37
Coopers take charge during hoco game By Renata Gutierrez The ball rapidly spiraled down the field as quarterback Matthew Cooper threw yet another touchdown pass to a newly brought up sophomore. Matthew Cooper later explains that for him and many others football is not just about playing the game but “getting to be part of a brotherhood.” On Sept. 22, the Trojans played a nail-biting game against the Berkeley Yellow Jackets. “Playing with my brothers beside me [is the best part of the game],” stated Connor Cooper. Often referred to as a versatile player, Connor Cooper swerved left and right for six yards straight getting through Berkeley’s defense all the way to the end zone a couple minutes into the first quarter, bringing the score up 8-7 with Berkeley in the lead. Connor Cooper would rush 81
Michael Walker (right) runs the ball down the field. yards and get a touchdown, as well as nine tackles and an interception for a touchdown all in one night’s work. As the second quarter concludes, the spirit squad and dance team alongside marching band and guard stretch and prepare to give it their all at their halftime performance. As the cheerleaders ran out
onto the field, the bleachers rumbled as the students and families cheered them on. Working through the not-sonew technical difficulties, they
Renata Gutierrez
once more impress the crowd with their choreography and stunting. As band and guard take over the field, the ambiance
suddenly changes from cheerful and playful to serious and dark. The drums echo through the stadium as flags fly throughout the air, and the synchronized sounds coming from the various instruments leave everyone in awe. Our emotions scrambled as the players ran up and down the field, coming to a tie multiple times throughout the game. Towards the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets would take back the lead and later win the game, 54-37. “Hard work beats talent,” asserted Diego Mares. Although the Trojans lost, the team kept their morale up with the help of all of their coaches. “After a game like that we face a choice. We can either prepare for the next game, learn from our mistakes and truly work to improve or we can dwell on Friday and let it affect this week and the next upcoming game,” said head coach Denny Molzen.
DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT SEWER BLOCKAGES Maintaining reliable wastewater pipelines and facilities is everyone’s responsibility. There are simple actions we can all take to make sure that our wastewater system works.
Only Flush the 3Ps!
Only flush the 3P’s: Pee, Poop, and Toilet Paper. Those are the only materials that should be flushed down the toilet. Items like “Flushable” wipes, disposable diapers, and personal hygiene products do not belong in the sewer system.
Never Flush Wipes!
Used flushable wipes belong in the garbage. When flushed, flushable wipes can damage expensive equipment at pump stations and the wastewater treatment plant and only increase the chances of a sanitary sewer overflow.
Put FOG Where It Belongs!
Do not pour Fats, Oils, and Grease, aka FOG, down the drain! Grease collects and hardens inside the pipes and forms a solid plug that can lead to sewer problems. Dispose of grease and fats in the green organics cart instead. CASTRO VALLEY SANITARY DISTRICT Effective Environmental Services since 1939 (510) 537-0757 | cvsan.org
11
New year, new clubs: fresh interests to explore at CVHS By Victor Bahng With the beginning of a new school year, many new clubs are joining us. Over 20 new clubs have been created this year, all with unique narratives and goals. The various clubs range from bringing more diversity on campus, like the Muslim Student Association and French Culture Club, to creating more opportunities to experience and learn, such as TEDxCVHS and the Political Science Club. One such club is the Game Development Club, which meets every Tuesday in room 513. Juniors Devin Hidayat and Mario Joseph founded the club with a mutual interest in coding and programming. With the club, they’ll teach people about coding and developing, but also hope to show people the creative and artistic elements of game building. “We want people who can code and design, but also people who are all around creative and are willing to work with each other,” said Joseph, “because game development isn’t always a task done by a single person.” After helping people become proficient enough in coding, they hope to enter a game developing competition next semester. Vietnamese Culture Club (VCC) meets every Monday
during lunch in room 306. Senior Tiffany Liu, president, planned for the club throughout the summer with her friends, after realizing that there hadn’t been a Vietnamese club before. “VCC is about sharing and teaching Vietnamese culture,” wrote Liu. “We want to teach the beautiful Vietnamese culture with many students and help broaden their understanding of different cultures.” Vietnamese traditions, food, music, and clothing are among some of the topics that will be talked about through weekly slideshows at every meeting. They’ll be accompanied by an activity, like making and trying Vietnamese food. All students are encouraged to come to meetings: “I am hoping that not only does this club reach out to the Vietnamese students in school, but many other students who are willing to learn,” said Liu. Lastly, Badminton Club meets every Thursday during lunch in room F3. The club, created by freshman Jonathan Huang and currently led by freshman Matthew Xiao, plans to teach people about badminton in a more competitive light. Although they are still in the process of organizing their club, they plan to have one to two training sessions held every week. They’ll be
Students attend Game Development Club. taught by student coaches, showing people proper posture, footwork, and technique. They plan to invite Canyon and Creekside students to trainings as well. The club was created to bring more competition to badminton along with the
school’s badminton team. “Try it out and see if you can handle the conditioning, [to] see if you have a genuine, competitive interest in the sport,” says Xiao. After becoming more organized and set up, they hope to have matches and
Mario Joseph
competitions with other schools. These are just a few of the clubs you are invited to join. To see a whole list of all clubs, be sure to check out the CVHS clubs website to potentially find a new one to join!
A
dorned in cowboy
hats and flannel shirts, the freshmen showed their western spirit. At the end of the week, they rode their horses off into the sunset, and unfortunately, into fourth place.
